No scout, no NBA team is taking what they see in the NCAA Tournament as the whole picture of an NBA prospect. They’ve been following these players all season, they have a pretty complete picture before the tournament tips off.

But the tournament brings more intense competition against better opponents, and that’s always a good measuring stick. See how the guy does in a cauldron of pressure.

Duke’s Kyrie Irving has solidified his spot as the No. 1 guy to go. Even if the Timberwolves get that pick in the lottery (now that would be funny). When a guy has the skills of Irving the questions become about mental makeup — is he tough enough, does it want it bad enough.

“What we can learn about Kyrie Irving is that he is a very competitive guy. Many would have decided to sit out this tournament (after his foot injury), but he wanted to help his team.”

Irving is maybe the one franchise-changing guy in this draft. He’s a point guard, a position that in the current “no hand checking” NBA is key. He’s a solid 6’2” with good passing skills. He also can score — he showed that Thursday night in Duke’s loss to Arizona hitting 9-of-15. More importantly, his decisions on when to shoot and when to pass seemed solid. He could get more looks and force shots, but he wasn’t doing that. He as making the right play.

Irving also looked like a guy who could be a solid NBA defender. No Duke player was defending well — that is why they lost — but his lateral quickness was there and he seemed to be playing well inside the Duke defensive system.

Two other guys who appear to have boosted their stock a little in the tournament:

Arizona forward Derrick Williams. A lot of people just did not see him out West this year. (Williams was a USC recruit who backed out of his commitment to that school when the O.J. Mayo sanctions came down on the program, so he switched to Arizona.) The guy is a very efficient scorer — he had 32 against Duke on just 17 shots and hit 5-of-6 threes. The concern was at the NBA level he is a tweener at the forward spots, but guys who can score like this find their way.

Connecticut guard Kemba Walker. He didn’t turn scouts heads much at summer programs but his game has taken a big leap forward this season. He dropped 36 on San Deigo state, hitting 12-of-25 shots and half his threes. His crossover and step back are wicked. He brings tremendous energy. He may not be a Derrick Rose/John Wall type of talent, but name a team that does not need a solid play at the point.